Seed-cotton distributer.



PATENTED APR. 5, 1904.

M. C. BROWN. SEED COTTON DISTRIBUTBR.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 7. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

No. 756,776. PATBNTED 171711.71904, M. c. BRowN. SEED COTTONDISTRIBUTER.

APPLIOATION FILED KAB. 7, 1903. H0 IODBL. 2 SHEETS-BHEBT 2.

4. ,W0 7M 1 A ,4

wifgesszs UNTTED STATES Patented April 5, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

SEED-COTTON DISTRIBUTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part olf Letters Patent No. 756,776, dated April5, 1904.

Application filed March 7, 1903.

To @ZZ wwnt t may concern.-

Be it known that I, MONROE CRAFFORD BROWN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Austin, in the county of Travis and State of Texas,have invented a new and useful Seed- Cotton Distributer, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for distributing seed-cotton to abattery of gins; and the principal object is to improve the constructionof such apparatus by providing for the separation of trash from thecotton, by making the action of the apparatus automatic, so as to supplycotton to the gins according to the amount required by the gins, byproviding for the ready separation of the cotton of one customer fromthat of another, and by providing for the cutting olf of the supply ofcotton to one or more of the gins in the battery when desired.

ln the accomplishment of the object above stated l make use of the novelconstruction and combination of parts of a seed-cotton distributerhereinafter fully described and claimed, and shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which corresponding parts are designated by the samecharacters of reference throughout the various views, it being of courseunderstood that I do not wish to be limited to the precise form andproportions or exact mode of assemblage of the elements shown, butreserve the right to make such changes therein as do not depart from thespirit of the invention and lie within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of aseed-cotton distributer constructed in accordance with the principles ofmy invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view. Fig. 3is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is avertical sectional view taken on the line 4 4 in Fig. l. Fig. 5 is avertical sectional view taken on the line 5 5 in Fig. l. Fig. 6 is avertical sectional view taken on the line 6 6 in Fig. 1. -Fig. 7 is asectional view taken on the line 7 7 in Fig. 6.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated by similarnumerals of reference.

As the nature of this invention consists of Referring now to thedrawings by reference characters, 1 represents a cotton-tube, preferablyrectangular in cross-section, of any desired material and provided atintervals on its under side with cotton-boxes 2, which are of well-knownform, being provided at their lower ends with valves 3, composedprincipally of cloth and provided with stilening members, as shown. Theboxes 2 are also provided with valves 4 and 5, the valve 4 be-A ingadapted to close the opening at the top of the box, so as to cut the boxoff completely from connection with the tube, the valve 4 also forming aportion of the bottom of the tube and being continuous with the bottomof the tube at either side of the box. The valve 5 is placed in the boxso that the upper portion thereof may be cut oii from the lower portion,if desired, and also aord means for narrowing the passage between theupper portion of the box and the lower portion, so as to check thespeedwith which cotton passes from the upper portion of the box 2 to thelower portion. As the construction of the valves mentioned forms no partof my invention, such valves being valready known, more detaileddescription of their construction is regarded as unnecessary.

The operating means for the valves 4 and 5 comprise levers 6 and 7 ofthe form shown provided with suitable cords 8 and 9, which pass oversmall pulleys provided at the side of said boxes, so as to make theoperation of the valves easy and convenient.

Each of the cotton-boxes is preferably provided with one or more glasspanels let into one ofthe sides of the box to enable the operator of thegins to see clearly the amount of cotton in each box. 1

At one end the cotton-tube 1 is bent downward to connect with a flexibleend portion adapted to be introduced into a wagon for drawing cotton upthrough the tube in the IOO the header-box stops at one side thereof,and

on the other side the tube is continued at a higher level. Arrangedovervthe top of the header-box is an arched screen of the form shown,which completely covers the end of the tube 1 where it enters the box.Above the arched screen 10 and between it and the top of theheader-boxis a space 42 for the passage of air to the extension L11 of the tube 1,which extends from the header-box to the apparatus for producingsuction, which consists of a fan 11 or other similar device located atthe end of the tube and a trip-valve 12, provided in the tube above thefan and operated in a manner which will be hereinafter exof the tube 1.

/plained Between the end of the tube 1 at which cotton enters and thefirst cotton-box 2 I provide a cleaner of the form shown, consisting ofa tapered box 13, which is preferably about twenty-four inches in depthand is provided with partitions 14a, extending downward par- 1 allelwith the side of the box nearest the inlet several inches short of thebottom of the cleaner-box. At the top of the box 13, which opens intothe tube 1, is provided awire screen 15, having meshes preferably ofabout onehalf inch, and at the bottom of the box is provided a door 16,which is hinged thereto and provided with any suitable means forfastening the door in closed position. Immediately above the box 13isprovided an air-chamber 17, which is preferably four inches in heightf and has its ends converging upward, as shown. The air-chamber 17 isseparated from the interior of the tube 1 by a screen 18 of the samematerial as that used in the screen 15. The operation of the cleaner isas follows:

When cotton is drawn through the tube 1 by the suction produced by thefan 11, it passes upward from the inlet of the tube and over the box 13.The passage of the current of air over the box 13 and under theair-chamber 17 draws air downward from the end of the airchamber towardthe fan and causes a current to pass upward in the air-chamber at theother end, as shown by arrow A. Similar currents are produced in the box13, and these currents of air cause thecotton as it passes over the box13 to be in a measure drawn upward toward the screen 18 and in a measuredownward toward the screen 15, where by partly filling or accumulatingin the tube it tends to check to some extent the passage of the cottonover the box 13 by narrowing the area of the tube. 1 between said boxand the air-chamber These partitions 141L terminate above. It will beunderstood that the cotton is not permitted to accumulate at this-pointof the tube 1 in such a manner as to obstruct the passage, but merelythat a portion-naturally the lighter portionuwill be drawn in an upwarddirection toward the screen 18, while another portion-naturally theheavier portion-will be induced in a downward direction toward thescreen 15. The pure cotton will by the continued suction be caused totravel forward in the conveyer-tube, while the heavy particles,consisting of all sorts of impurities, such as gravel and the like, willpass through the screen 15 into the box 13. In other words, the passageof the cotton through the tube 1 is momentarily retarded by the upwardand downward suction th rough the screens 18 and 15, which is induced bythe partial vacuum formed in the chamber 17 and in the box 13 by thepowerful suction induced in the tube 1 by means of the fan. As amatterof course the impurities will gravitate toward the screen 15, while thegreater portion of the cotton will rise in the direction of the screen18, where its movement is momentarily retarded, but from contact'withwhich it is displaced by the constant movement of cotton in the tube 1.vSuch portion of the cotton as is attracted to the screen 15 by thepartial vacuum set up in the part 13 will likewise be graduallydisplaced, while the gravel and impurities will naturally fall downwardthrough the meshes of the screen 15 into the box 13, where it isintercepted by the inclined partitions 14., as will be readilyunderstood, and permitted to accumulate in the lower part of the box,whence it may be allowed to escape by opening the door 16 at the bottomof the box. The purpose of terminating the inclined partitions 1451above the bottom of the box 13 is simply to permit the current of air topass below said partitions, the air entering between the upper edges ofsaid partitions and the first inclined side of the box 13, and passingdownwardly between the said side and partitions will pass in an upwarddirection and out through the screen 15, as indicated by arrows inFig.`2 of the drawings. If the partitions vwere extended to the bottomof the box 13, it would be practically impossible to establish thedesired vacuum in the several compartments-of` the box. The tube 1 ispreferably provided with a hand-hole 15, through which access may be hadto the screen 15, from the top of which accumulations of any kind maythus be` removed whenever necessary.

Overpthe boxes 2, except the header-box, I provide air-chambers 19 and20, which may be described as an upward extension of the air-tube 1. Inthe lower ends of these airchambers above each of the boxes 2 aredisposed screens 19 and 20, and valves 25 and 25,are disposed in theair-chambers at the rear end of each of the screens 19a and 2O*L toseparate between the chambers 19 and 20,. as

IOO

lIO

lISO

will be readily understood, the last valve 25a separating between thelast chamber 20 and the header-box adjacent thereto. In the airtube 1 Ialso provide a plurality of valves 24 and 24L to separate between theindividual boxes 2 and also between the last box 2 and the header-box.

The trip-valve 12, provided in the tube 1 above the fan 11, is providedwith operating means comprising a lever connected with said valve andhaving an end bent to form a trip, as shown at 26. This trip 26 isengaged by a lug 28, which is adjustable radially on a wheel 27, towhich motion may be imparted in any suitable manner.

The operation of the seed-cotton distributer, considered as a whole, isas follows: Suction through the tube 1 is produced by fan 11, which isto be driven from any suitable source of power. The valves 3 at thebottom of boxes 2 are closed by the suction,'a partial vacuum f beingcreated in the tube 1 and the boxes 2, and cotton is drawn upward fromthe wagon to the tube 1. This action goes on as long as the trip-valve12, which is normally closed, remains closed; but by means of the trip26 and the adjustable lug 28 on the wheel 27, which is continuouslydriven, the trip-valve 11 is intermittently opened, the period duringwhich the valve remains open being determined by the position of the lug28 on the wheel 27, It is evident that the farther said lug is from thecenter of the wheel the longer it will remain in contact with the trip26 to keep the valve open. As soon as the valve 12 is opened suctionthrough the tube 1 ceases and cotton will no longer travel forward inthe tube, the partial vacuum in the cotton-boxes is destroyed, and thevalves 3 drop downward, permitting the cotton to escape from the boxesinto the gins below said boxes. As the cotton passes through the tube 1the trash is partially separated therefrom by the cleaner in a manneralready described, and after passing the cleaner the cotton travels overthe openings into the cotton-boxes 2, some of the cotton being drawndownward into each box by the current of air which is set up in thatdirection by the passage of air through the tube, and some of thecot-ton is drawn upward into contact with the screens under theair-chambers over the cotton-boxes. The upward movement of the cotton isbrought about by the currents of air indicated by the arrows A A, whichare produced, as already explained, in connection with the cleaner. Thecotton drawn upward into contact with the screens under the air-chambersis held in contact with the tube and tends in a measure to block thetube at this point and to direct the cotton in the lower portion of thetube downward into the cotton-boxes. Vhen the suction through the tube 1is cut ofi1 by the closing of the trip-valve 11, the cotton which hasbeen held under the air-chambers is released and drops downward into thecommunicates with the suction-tube 41.

4cotton-boxes below. By the 4timethe cotton has passed from theinlet-tube to the headerbox a great deal of it will have been directeddownward into the boxes between these two points, and the remainingcotton which is being drawn forward by the suction in the tube is caughtby the arched screen 10 over the header-box, from which it is releasedand drops as soon as the trip-valve 12 is opened and the suction throughthe tube l stops. When the suction through the tube 1 is strong, theheader-box tends to become filled with cotton before any of the otherboxes, and consequently it is desirable to provide means for checkingthe passage of the cotton through the tube before it reaches theheader-box and directing it into the oth er boxes. Such means isprovided in valves 24a and, 25a, which separate the header-box from theadjacent box 2; By closing the'valve 24 and opening the valve 25L acurrent of air from the cotton-box nearest the header-box is turned outof the tube 1 and forward through the air-chamber 20 to the space 42 ofthe header-box, which directlly T e cotton cannot pass beyond the boxinto airchamber 20, being stopped by the screen 20, and the valve 24JLprevents more cotton from entering the header-box. The current of airpasses from the air-chamber 42 over the arched screen 10 in the upperportion of the headerbox and onto the fan. If it is desired to preventthe entrance of cotton into any one of the cotton-boxes other than .theheader-box, it is only necessary to close the valve 4, which cuts offthe box from the tube 1 and makes the bottom of the tube practicallycontinuous from said box. The intermediate valves 24 and 25 may also beavailed of in cuttting out any one or more of the intermediate boxes 2.

By means of the cleaner above described it is possible to separate fromthe cotton a large portion of the trash contained therein, especiallyany heavy particles, such as gravel, thus improving the grade of thestaple and at the same time preventing injury to the saws and otherparts of the cotton-gins. 1

By means of the stationary screens and the air-chambers over thecotton-boxes effective and uniform distribution of the cotton into'thecotton-boxes is secured and all unnecessary adjustments of the parts tosecure the proper distribution of the cotton are done away with. If thecotton in one of the cotton-boxes is ginned out faster than that in theothers, the supply of cotton to the box will become proportionatelygreater, because the Space between the level of the cotton-box and thebottom of the tube 1 will be greater than in the other boxes, thussetting up stronger currents downward than in the boxes in which supplyof cotton is nearer to the bottom of the tube IOO IIO

ingly smaller.

It is obvious that the box, which has been ISO designated as the"header, VWill have atendency to become filled With cotton more readilyand quickly than the remaining boxes. In order to regulate the supply ofcotton to said header-box and to prevent the latter from becomingchoked, the valves 21925 may be operated to control the supply of cottonto said header-box, the valve 24 being capable of being manipulated tocut the header-box entirely off from the cotton-tube, so that no cottonshall enter it at all until the supply already in the box, Which may bereadily seen through the glass panels provided in one of the sides ofthe box, is practically exhausted.

By means of the adjustable lug 28, which operates the trip 26 of thetrip-valve 11, the periods of opening of the trip-valve may be varied,and consequently the amount of cotton kept under control, and it isevident that the longer the periods of opening of the triplvalve We havethe shorter the periods during which suction occurs must necessarily be,and

the amount of cotton drawn into the tube in a giventime Will bediminished.

My invention and all its parts may be constructed of any lsuitablematerial, as will be readily'understood, and I further Wish to statethat I do not confine myself to the precise structural details hereinset forth, but reserve the right to any changes and modifications Withinthe spirit and scope of my invention, and which may be resorted toWithout departing from the utility of the same.

Having thus described my invention, IV

p admitting trash thereinto.

2. The combination in a seed-cotton distions in said box terminatingshort of the bottom thereof, a screen over said box, an airchamber inthe upper Wall of the suction-tube over said box, and a screen undersaid airchamber, said screens being in longitudinal alinement With thelower and upper Walls of the suction-tube.

4:. The combination in a seed-cotton distributer, of a mainsuction-tube, a plurality of feeder-boxes disposed under said tube andopening thereinto, air-chambers disposed adjacent to the upper Wall ofthe suction-tube above the boxes, screens disposed under saidair-chambers in longitudinal alinement with the suction-tube, valvesseparating said airchambers, a header-box disposed at the end of themain suction-tube, anzarched screen in said header-box, forming acontinuation of the suction-tube, a valve adjacent to the said screen,an air-space formed in the header-box above said screen and in directcommunication at one end With the air-chambers above -the feeder-boxesand at the other end With MONROE ORAFFORD BROWN.

Witnesses:

. H. M. LITTLE, i J. D. MOORE.

